Earth, Sky, Water, Fire
APRIL 29, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
First Church, Boston
Alexander Safford The Call of the Sea
Peter Askim As Glaciers Thaw…
Innocent Okechukwu The River Within
Steve Laven Angry Water
David Arnold Then and Now: Changes Above and Below the Waterline (a photographic essay)
Samuel Barber Adagio for Strings
Jessie Montgomery Starburst
Traditional Fire on the Mountain
Join us as we celebrate the beauty and majesty of the natural world, and the importance of preserving it. Ranging from the allure of the sea to the brilliance of the sky, these works display the fertile imaginations of some of the brightest new talents writing today. We’re thrilled to share David Arnold’s powerful photographic essay, Then and Now: Changes Above and Below the Waterline, along with Barber’s beloved Adagio for Strings. We hope you’ll join us for this evening of beautiful music.
TOGETHER AGAIN
November 5, 2021 at 7:30 p.m.
First Church, Boston
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Steven Laven A Barnraising
Mozart Divertimento in F, KV 138
Victor Herbert Sunset (in memory of Mark Simcox)
Edward Elgar Serenade, Op. 20
Brian Balmages Lullaby to the Moon (in memory of Charlie Austin)
Robert Edward Smith Partita for Strings (Boston Premiere)
Various Traditional folksongs from Norway and Denmark
We are so excited to be able to share great music with you in person again! Join us for Steve Laven’s A Barnraising, a perfect symbol of community coming together — our mutual efforts, support through the pandemic, and raising up something beautiful for all to enjoy. Bask in the timeless beauty of Elgar’s Serenade and Mozart’s joyful Divertimento in F. Reflect, as we celebrate the lives of members of our COB family who passed away this year, with Herbert’s radiant Sunset and Balmages’s heart-felt Lullaby to the Moon.
Experience the Boston premiere of Robert Edward Smith’s Partita for Strings, an apt metaphor for our pandemic times. Through five movements, it traverses from darkness to light, with troubled harmonies giving way to an uplifting and exuberant fugue, affirming a positive view of the future.
Cap the evening with rousing, toe-tapping folksongs from Norway and Denmark. We can’t wait to see you there!
HEALTH & SAFETY INFORMATION
The concert will last approximately 70 minutes, without intermission.
Seating at First Church will be with chairs spaced out and limited to 50% usual capacity. Buying tickets online in advance is strongly encouraged. We kindly request that all concertgoers be vaccinated and that you wear a mask while inside the building.